It has to be said that Process is a dog with a bad name. It’s rarely something that inspires or excites.

But it should be…because the truth is that process is a liberator, a freedom-giver, a time saviour…it creates the space between the business owner and their business that allows them to control it, work on it and grow it.

So it’s about time we busted a few of the myths around process and elevated it to the status it deserves.

Myth 1 Process stifles creativityI hear this a lot. ‘Oh we’re a business that relies on our people being creative and free-flowing, process would restrict us.’ Not true, in fact quite the reverse. Process keeps the nuts and bolts of your business…your invoicing, purchasing, marketing…moving, and forms a platform for the creative people to ‘do their stuff’. Process is that ‘spine of the team’ we talked about a couple of weeks ago. Essential for creative and non-creative businesses alike.

Myth 2 Only large organisations need processesAny business that wants to grow, whatever their size, needs systems and processes. Go back to your Michael Gerber ‘The E Myth’…the only way to grow your business is to work on it, not in it. The only way to have the time and control to work on your business is to have your team working to set processes and to set standards.

Myth 3 Processes are dull and boringProcesses are simply ‘the way we do things around here’. In other words, we all have them now, we just don’t label them as such, and they may not be efficient or standardised. Having logical repeatable process and systems is liberating, because you and your team don’t have to think about how you’re going to do something today…you just do it on autopilot…following your system.

Myth 4 Process is all about Lean and Six SigmaLean systems thinking and Six Sigma have done an enormous amount for business, in making it more cost efficient and productive. But they have made process management sound bureaucratic and difficult. All of the jargon and the academic-sounding terms have made people think that putting processes into place is going to be painful. But at their core, all that they say is what I would say to you… You need simple, logical, and repeatable processes if you want to lower your costs, improve your revenue and have a high performing team. Lean and Six Sigma can help, but they’re not essential.

Myth 5 Having processes costs moneyWhile it’s true that you have to spend time and money getting your processes in place, and a little more at regular intervals to make sure that they are still relevant and effective…processes will save you much more than they will ever cost. And they will grow your revenue too, by giving you a high performing team who deliver a great customer experience.So forget the myths, and go with this fact: Process will grow your business and give you more time, more control, and more profit.​For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk